The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Hydrangea macrophylla and will be referred to hereafter by its cultivar name, ‘Bailmacfive’. ‘Bailmacfive’ represents a new mophead type Hydrangea, a deciduous shrub grown for use as a landscape plant.
‘Bailmacfive’ was derived from an ongoing breeding program conducted by the Inventors in Watkinsville, Ga. The objectives of the breeding program are to develop new cultivars of Hydrangea macrophylla with compact plant habits, inflorescences that are red in color, re-blooming, and bloom on old and new wood, and that are cold hardy in U.S.D.A. Zone 4.
‘Bailmacfive’ originated from a cross-made in May of 2013 between Hydrangea macrophylla cultivars ‘Hot Red’ (not patented) as the female parent and ‘PIIHM-II’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 25,566) as the male parent. ‘Bailmacfive’ was selected as a single unique plant in June of 2014 from amongst the resulting seedlings.
Asexual propagation of the new cultivar was first accomplished by softwood stem cuttings by one of the Inventors in Watkinsville, Ga. in July of 2014. Asexual propagation by softwood stem cuttings has determined that the characteristics of the new cultivar are stable and are reproduced true to type in successive generations.